Read this blog: The one where were Matilda shakes her Singapore Sling Monday 15th to Thursday 18th April 2024 We would undertake the journey back to Singapore in two stages: firstly travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru via Gemas by train before crossing the Johor Strait into Singapore. Robert, despite his enthusiasm for all things rail-related, is always reluctant to rely too heavily on train connections which could be subject to delays and had therefore planned for us to stay overnight in Johor Bahru. We went to Kuala Lumpur Sentral to catch the first train to Gemas. This was an aerodynamic high speed engine. The route took us through the lush Malaysian terrain. The onward train from Gemas to Johor Baru was running late and we became increasingly concerned that we would miss our next connecting train. However when Robert went to ask the ticket inspector he was confidently told not to worry as the service would wait. It transpired that the ticket inspector was also transferring to work on the connecting train which would definitely not leave without its full complement of staff. The Johor Strait, between the Malay Peninsuala and the Republic of Singapore is just three […]
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Sunday 7th April 2019 Having used the New Delhi Metro on Saturday, the places we wished to visit on Sunday were spread out around the city and were not necessarily close to metro stations so we decided to revert to travelling by tuk-tuk. Our first stop was Safdarjang’s Tomb which was built between 1753 and 1754 by his son and features an ornamental two storey gateway, a courtyard, mosque and channels to carry [currently non-existent] water to various pavilions. Safdarjang was the Governor of Awadh Province and later prime minister for the Mughal ruler, Mohammad Shah. From Safdarjang’s tomb [above] we headed towards Humayun’s tomb but we had not realised quite how many other memorials and mausoleums there would be at the Nizamuddin Complex. This is a medieval settlement which includes the graves of the poet Mrza Khan and Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan’s favourite daughter, as well as Humayun himself. First we visited Isa Khan’s garden tomb [below] which is twenty years older than Humayun’s mausoleum and is apparently the only surviving octagonal enclosed tomb complex with walls, gateway and mosque all intact. Humayun was the second Mughal emperor and his tomb is said to be the first great […]